COUNCILLOR BETS SALFORD MAYOR £10 THAT REDS WILL WANT MORE PUBLIC MONEY

Conservative Councillor, Robin Garrido, told a full meeting of Salford City Council yesterday that the local authority should not be a "prop" for Salford Red Devils... "If they can't survive they don't deserve to exist" he argued, before betting Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett, £10 that within three years the club would need more Council money to "keep them going".

At yesterday's full meeting of Salford City Council, opposition Conservative PartyCouncillor Robin Garrido criticised the authority for allowing Salford Red Devils a further three year 'holiday' to pay back historic loans*.

"Every now and again we get the same old story, that if we don't support them they'll go bust" he said "If that happened with any other enterprise, and every two or three years we kept getting that story, they would go bust because if they can't survive they don't deserve to exist. At the end of the day this Council should not be the prop for an organisation that clearly can't get its house in order.

"When it was taken over by the new owner - and we again made some consideration at that time - we were told that once he settled in things will be better; it will stop costing the Council money and we'll start getting some money back eventually" he explained "It's not happening, we've just delayed by another three years pay back of the loan..."

Councillor Garrido then actually bet Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, £10 "that in three years time or thereabout we'll be back in this council chamber having the same debate; that we're having to give a bit more money to keep them going a bit longer.

"We have to say 'Enough is enough'" he added "This is the time when we have to stop ploughing money into an organisation that is losing money. I'm sure there are other organisations out there, apart from the council tax payers, who are interested in the club, and I'm sure there are, that can pick up the tab."

The Mayor didn't respond to the bet but echoed Deputy Mayor, John Merry's statement that the Council wasn't putting any additional money into the club, merely extending the payment period for the 'CVA' (Company Voluntary Arrangement), which the Salford Star understands totals £1.061million.*

"They're not getting away scot free" he said "What is really important is that we work with the club to make it a success, to ensure there are more ticket sales, to ensure that the club starts to wash its face as a business. I'm committed to doing whatever I can with the limited resources that the authority has to make sure that the club does move into profitability and starts paying back the CVA which it has with the Cty Council.

"I believe that the decision to extend the CVA for three years is the right decision" he added "That doesn't mean that we won't be reviewing it on a yearly basis because we will. The treasurer will be looking at their accounts...so almost to suggest that somehow we're either putting more money in or letting them off is nonsense. We will continue to work with the club to try and move it into profitability, and try and recoup the money that sits within the CVA with the City Council."

What we need is another rugby club. As rugby league starts to expand, with interest coming from outside its traditional main areas,i.e. the North of England and Australia, especially in the Americas, is it not the time for us to have one team, one super team ,playing in the australian league, just as Catalans play here. They could be perhaps rolling jet setters, perhaps playing exibition games in Canada and usa,on their way down under ,and perhaps in South africa on way back. They might like a new rugby version in Springbok country.With close proximity to man airport, with its good connections worldwide,it would be a good idea to base such a team at salfords ground, with the reds still playing their in the domestic league. the sharks could be turfed out. Such an international club would not be bound by the wage constraints here, so it would keep our best stars over here.It might work, but it must have been thought of before. I wonder.

Nevergetpaid wroteat 12:52:11 PM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

The club will either go under or end up relocating outside Salford. Not just yet , but within the next five years. The council will not get their money either. Councillor Merry has a lot to answer for and should be held responsible with others over this extravagant waste of public money.

Much rightly said and thought on this subject. It deserves more input by Salford getting £7million art grant to install a Salford ThinkTank Museum into the sport complex, driving up education and City heritage. Join the dots with the Birmingham ThinkTank to create a North West major attraction that builds greater and sustained income into the stadium as a learning and inspirational facility pulling in the heritage of everything good about Salford. I would be proud to see a fun new wave community venture here.
http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank/highlights

D Lyons wroteat 12:51:31 PM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

Mr O'Neil whilst I certainly don't agree with most of what the city council do,I certainly believe they are more palatable than the Garido's and their friends,who woukd probably on taking office reinstate the WORkHOUSE.

wroteat 11:47:09 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

The crowds are so small, the club could relocate to the Salford football ground at moor lane. The AJ Bell Stadium could be sold off to recoup some money. At least the football ground is in Salford. The rugby club could take over the football ground when the football clu moves up the leagues and the ground becomes too small for them.

Mary ferrer wroteat 8:48:18 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

It's not the clubs fault or the supportes fault. It's the bloody idiots that were running the club at the Willows and the morons who built the stadium at Barton.Think selling part of the lease to the sharks would help. The council are very keen at getting consultant's in to help run the council.well think they DO need one to look at the marketing of the stadium. Regards monies lent and given to the club,there has to be a cutoff point and I think we have reached that point.I totally agree we can't give any more money to the club and the stadium. It would be a sad day for the club,the supporters and the city should the club close. But the city is in a financial mess.

wroteat 8:48:06 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

How many times when questioned over the sense or cost of something, both by the Salford Star and others, has John Merry said something like "That is very negative. Wait and see", then the concerns that were raised were proved to be correct?

Mary ferrer wroteat 8:47:48 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

Amanda how the hell can you compare the armed forces to a bloody rugby club.yes it's been in salford since Adam was a lad.But don't you understand WE HAVE NO MONEY.We are not a loan company or any bank.It's a private company.No one can say the city hasn't helped.Because WE have built a stadium that has cost £25M if not more.WE have given no interest LOANS well over £2M. There comes a time when we need to say enough is enough.

wroteat 8:47:24 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

To what extent does the club bring prospects to our youth and diversity to the city?
Judging by the average attendances; 3193 last season, it serves 1.3% of the population.
Is that worth the funding that has gone into the club?

Amanda Edwards wroteat 6:13:49 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

Salford Rugby club isn't an enterprise or a project. It is an institution which brings prospects to our youth and diversity to a football dominated society. We need support not overpayed pompous half wits without any sight beyond his 50 grand jag and his over inflated bonus. The Armed Forces are not a money making venture should we fold them too?

Brian f kirkham wroteat 6:13:44 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

One question, given the level of public funding that has gone into both stadium and club....what happens should they actually make a profit? As for council involvement, this all boils down to an assistant mayor of our fair city trying to play one upmanship with a chief executive of a nearby rugby playing town. It’s time the loans were paid back and the rugby club stand on its own two feet...the premise the club couldn’t find commercial lenders is frankly a joke...

Dazza wroteat 4:38:32 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

Fold the club, then fold the stadium, Sale Sharks and Salford Red Devil's are the two tenants, there is strong suggestion that the Sharks may relocate, who will pay the rent then? I can't believe the short sightedness of the Tory Councillor, Both clubs are also opportunity for our youth to gain a meaningful career and the club is loved and cherished by many people in the community of Salford.

sTory wroteat 4:25:36 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

£200,000! Plus his wife and the other Tory councillors. Probably more cash in total to them than the entire Reds council loan.

wroteat 4:02:56 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

Let's see. Tory group leader gets how much a year? For how many years totalling about £200,000. How many Reds players would it have bought in to win the game for Salford.

SALFORD AND PROUD wroteat 3:24:39 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

I bet £ 10 salford rlfc will still be here when the tory Councillor isn't

Joseph O'neill wroteat 2:46:19 AM on Thursday, November 16, 2017

The first and probably the last time I would agree with Robin. The whole premise of the Club is a disaster if it can't survive then fold it, any other self respecting business would have been closed. We appear to be cavalier with other peoples cash on the Labour benches I say time to call a halt and see how much we can get back. People are going hungry on our streets, people without homes having faced eviction, no police no jobs and no future it will take brave decisions but John Merry was in charge when this folly came to fruition perhaps he should wisely talk to Dennett and have the guts to close it.